


After Faber

by sweetsoutherncuisine



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Engagement, Fluff, M/M, the teensiest pinch of angst shhh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:48:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23582632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetsoutherncuisine/pseuds/sweetsoutherncuisine
Relationships: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann
Comments: 33
Kudos: 163





	1. Chapter 1

The proposal couldn’t have been more perfect.

Sure, the fainting wasn’t ideal, but all things considered, it was perfectly _them_.

There were some tears, quickly replaced with laughter, and a ridiculous pick-up game that no one (except Jack, of course) took seriously.

Perfectly them.

And when they reunited with their parents later, it was Suzanne who noticed the ring first, and promptly screamed and burst into tears.

“My baby’s getting married!!”

Alright, maybe Eric screamed and cried a little with her. Meanwhile, Coach sighed over them as he shook Jack’s hand. Bob roared with laughter when Jack told him about the fainting, which was completely unfair since Eric was preoccupied with answering all his mama’s questions and unable to defend himself.

“ _Mama_ , a date?! We’ve been engaged for all of an hour, we haven’t even started talking _dates_!”

“Well sweetheart, it’s never too early to start planning! Weddings are a lot of work – you know, I’ve got a Pinterest board that I’ve been working on ever since Christmas when Jack asked for our blessing – “

“ _He did what over Christmas?!_ ”

“Oh, Jack, come here, honey!! I need to hug my future son-in-law!” Suzanne exclaimed, rushing over to throw her arms around Jack’s neck. Jack just laughed awkwardly and lightly patted her back, looking very uncomfortable and stooped nearly in half.

“Congratulations,” Alicia murmured warmly in Eric’s ear, drawing him in for a much gentler hug.

“Well, I was already going to take us all out to lunch to celebrate, but now I think this is an occasion for something extra special,” Bob declared cheerfully.

“Papa, please, you don’t need to do anything like that,” Jack said, chagrined, “we should just have a nice lunch, eh? It’s still Bittle’s graduation day first.”

“I can’t believe you’re engaged to him and still calling him Bittle,” Alicia chuckled to herself.

“I can’t believe Jack, of all people, is complaining about someone going overboard,” Eric retorted, playfully elbowing Jack in the ribs.

“Like father, like son,” Alicia said with a laugh. She leaned over to brush a fond kiss to Bob’s cheek.

“Alright, alright. We’ll go have a nice lunch to celebrate Eric’s graduation, and we’ll celebrate the engagement another day,” Bob conceded.

“Papa!” Jack groaned.

“I think Jack is trying to say that he’d prefer to celebrate his engagement with his fiance alone,” Alicia faux-whispered to Bob.

“Now hold on one second there, y’all aren’t married _yet!_ ” Suzanne exclaimed in a rush, flustered and red in the face.

The Zimmermanns cracked up laughing, Coach just shook his head, and Jack and Eric spent a whole minute blushing and stuttering weak defenses.

So that was it. They were engaged.

Eric couldn’t stop looking at the ring on his finger, and Jack couldn’t stop looking at Eric looking.

The next order of business was moving out of the Haus. Eric had packed everything up, but it was all still sitting in boxes in his room. Packing them into Coach’s truck was the most surreal feeling. Leaving Samwell almost hadn’t felt real until now. There was a lot of discussion about where they’d be bringing Eric’s belongings, though - Suzanne didn’t love the idea of him moving straight into Jack’s apartment.

“Well, I mean, but Dicky, isn’t that moving a bit fast?”

“Mama, I’ve been practically living there every weekend anyway, even since last year.”

Suzanne narrowed her eyes at them, clearly starting to put a few...immodest pieces together.

“And we’re _engaged_ , Mama!”

That did it. Suzanne’s expression turned soft, her eyes started to water, and she relented. But she did insist on having them at home for at least a week or two, Jack included, and Eric could hardly deny her.

“Lord knows when I’ll ever see you boys once you’re all settled in together!” Suzanne exclaimed in a huff, planting her hands on her hips.

“Mama, don’t be silly, you know we’ll come visit you all the time,” Eric insisted, trying to keep the exasperation off his face. It was probably a common enough worry for a parent, he guessed, but honestly! What did his Mama take him for?

“Oh, that reminds me - my parents wanted me to tell you that you’re all invited for Christmas in Montreal this year, if you want,” Jack said, hefting a large box onto his shoulder.

“Montreal!! Oh my Lord!! Oh, I’ve heard it’s beautiful there! Goodness, won’t we freeze to death, though?”

Eric sighed and shook his head, smiling. Jack seemed to have found the perfect distraction, for now. What he really wanted to do was spend the night in Jack’s apartment, have a lovely and romantic evening alone together, and make the trip down to Georgia together tomorrow. That was just...difficult to accomplish with his parents still here.

Thankfully, Jack’s parents seemed to have a keener understanding of the situation, not to mention the eerily effective Zimmermann charisma. Once most of Eric’s things were moved into Jack’s apartment, they immediately offered to take Coach and Suzanne out for dinner; “Oh, but Jack and Eric look a little tired, do you boys want to stay in and rest? We’ll just have a nice parents’ night. We really should get to know each other better anyway, we’re practically family now!”

Thank goodness. Eric was going to bake them a dozen pies.

As soon as they were gone, Eric collapsed onto the couch with a prolonged groan. He was exhausted. Today had been wonderful and exciting and emotional, and he was ready for it to slow down a little.

“Haha. Hey.” Jack sat down beside him and bent down to brush a kiss to his forehead. “Been a long day, eh?”

“Oh honey, tell me about it,” Eric sighed, closing his eyes and smiling despite himself. Jack and his eternal sweetness really was a comfort.

“Hmm, well, I hope some of it was ok,” Jack teased lightly, gently taking Bitty’s hand and lifting it up to kiss it.

A tiny shiver worked its way down Eric’s spine. Oh. Right. He opened his eyes again, gazing up at Jack in adoration. His lips were still pressed gently against Eric’s fingers, just above the shiny new metal band resting there. He couldn’t believe he’d almost forgotten he was wearing it.

“Some of it was absolutely wonderful,” Eric assured him warmly, pushing himself up to cradle Jack’s cheek and kiss him soundly on the mouth. “Jack...oh honey...I love you so much, sweetpea.”

“I love you too, Bits,” Jack murmured, soft and sweet and so sincere. “It’s not like I was worried you’d say no…? But...I’m really glad you said yes, haha.”

“Well,” Eric said, stifling a giggle, “me too. But you’re right that you had nothing to worry about. Lord, you surprised me, though! I thought you might ask me to move in right away, but I thought you were going to save proposing for the summer!”

“Really?” Jack asked, sounding amused. “I mean, there was a part of me that was worried about taking away from your graduation day. But I couldn’t think of anything more perfect than proposing to you in Faber, and I didn’t think I’d get a good chance for us both to be there alone again for...a while, ha.”

“Oh, I understand that completely, and you’re right, it was...gosh, it was perfect,” Eric sighed, draping his arms loosely around Jack’s neck. “But it sure threw a bit of a wrench into my own plans.”

“Your plans…?”

Eric hummed thoughtfully, deliberating. Should he just say it outright…?

“Bits, hey, c’mon…” Jack wheedled, trying to coax it out of him by covering his neck in slow, sweet kisses.

“ _Jack_ \- good Lord - alright, alright! I might have had the idea to propose soon too,” Eric confessed sheepishly.

Jack actually looked more pleased than surprised. “Really?” he asked, eyes lighting up, and slid his hands down to pull Eric in a little closer by the hips.

“Yes, of course!” Eric exclaimed, giggling, “I even - oh! Wait a second!” He untangled himself from Jack and hopped up, zipping into the bedroom. He’d made sure to keep this particular item tucked away safe in his duffle bag, too afraid of losing it in a box somewhere. Ah-ha - right where he’d left it. He took a moment to cradle it in his hands, smiling tenderly. Oh, but he couldn’t leave Jack waiting like this, the suspense had to be killing him! He rushed back to the living room, hands behind his back and bouncing on his toes as he skidded to a stop in front of Jack.

“Bits?” Jack looked puzzled, and maybe a little hopeful?

“Jack,” Eric breathed, suddenly feeling very nervous. Lord, was this how Jack had felt earlier?

“Bud? ...you gonna faint again?”

“What?! No!” Eric snapped back to full attention. “No, hang on, I need to - I need to tell you something.” He swallowed hard, taking a deep breath. “You told me earlier that the past four years were the best of your life. Well...they were mine, too. I used to be so afraid. Afraid of not fitting in. Afraid of being weak. Afraid of...being one hundred percent me.” A smile began to spread across his face. “And then you showed me that I was so much stronger than I could have ever realized. That all the things I’d thought were weaknesses, could be strengths. That loving someone so deeply, and being loved so deeply back, could teach me to love myself, too. That with determination and support, I could do anything. Even this.”

Jack’s eyes went wide as Eric lowered onto one knee, bringing out the ring box from behind his back.

“Jack Zimmermann, you are the most incredible, inspiring, loving man I’ve ever had the fortune to meet, and I would be the happiest man in the world if you would marry me.”

“...you bought a ring.”

“ _Jack!_ ”

“Haha - yes - of course it’s yes,” Jack assured him quickly, dropping to the floor to take Eric’s face in his hands and kiss him. “I asked first, you know,” he murmured against Eric’s mouth with a smirk.

“Ugh!” Eric gave Jack a playful shove. “I told you, you ruined my plans! I was supposed to have at least another month to work out a better speech, and a romantic location, some music and ambience…”

“Bitty - it’s perfect. You’re perfect.” Jack kissed him again, deeper this time. “Did anyone else know you were going to…?”

“Oh - well, not really?” Eric admitted sheepishly. “I really wanted it to be a surprise, and I love our friends dearly but I wasn’t sure they could manage not to spill the beans - although, Lord, they sure kept quiet about you! Shruti might have helped me pick out the ring, though…”

“Shruti…? Oh - rugby captain, right?”

“That’s the one!”

“Haha. Nice of her.”

“Jack, she’s a peach, you’d love her, she’s - oh - well goodness, here we are getting distracted and sitting on the darned floor like fools! C’mon, honey.” Eric stood up and pulled Jack back onto the couch with him. “Oh! I almost forgot!” He opened the ring box and took Jack’s hand, fighting back a blush as he gently slid the ring onto his finger.

“Wow,” Jack murmured, eyes bright as he stared down at his hand, cheeks glowing pink.

“A beautiful sight,” Eric agreed with a tiny wink. He brushed an affectionate kiss to Jack’s cheek before cuddling up against his chest with a contented sigh. “Goodness, well that’s a relief.”

“I bet,” Jack replied with a laugh, and Eric could feel the low rumble of it against his back.

“I know that there’s still so much left to do but...is it strange to say that I can’t wait to be married to you?”

“Ha. Definitely not.”

Eric grinned broadly, giving Jack’s hand an affectionate squeeze. “I absolutely cannot wait to be Mr. Bittle-Zimmermann. Oh, or should we go Zimmermann-Bittle?”

“Oh, huh. I didn’t think of that. I kinda figured I’d just take your name,” Jack mused.

“ _What really_?!” Eric sat up sharply, whirling around to gape at Jack. “You want to take my name?”

“Sure, yeah. I mean…” Jack paused awkwardly, embarrassed. “I don’t think I’ve put it in words until now, but...I don’t know. It’s like, my whole life, the name Zimmermann has kinda carried me, you know? But it’s also given me...a lot of pressure to deal with? Ha, well. I guess what I’m trying to say is...I thought about what it would feel like, to go out on the ice as Jack Bittle, with that name on my jersey…”

“Jack…” Eric’s voice cracked.

“It would be like I was a whole new player. And...I am. Ever since I met you, I’ve been a whole new player. And taking your name just kind of feels like making that...official.”

“Oh _sweetheart_ …” Eric flung his arms around Jack and hugged him tight, squeezing his eyes shut in a futile attempt to hold back the tears pricking them. “...you really mean it?”

“I do,” Jack told him, and the warmth in those words was enough to melt Eric completely and open the floodgates.

“Oh Lord - I’m sorry, honey,” he gasped, scrubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, “I’m just - so emotional…”

“Haha. It’s fine. I’m kinda used to it.”

“Hey!” Eric protested, even though it did startle a laugh out of him.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Jack promised with a chuckle, gently wiping Eric’s cheeks dry with his thumb. “Although, this is more of the reaction I expected when I proposed, the fainting caught me off guard.”

“Well, it has been a while, hasn’t it?” Eric conceded, snorting at himself, and still sounding a little watery.

“It has,” Jack agreed, his smile radiating sheer pride.

“Alright, alright. You sap,” Eric accused fondly. “Phew, well. We moved a lot of boxes today, I bet you’re starving! Should we make dinner plans?”

“I am, yeah, but…” Jack blushed, ducking his head slightly. “...is it ok if we just sit here like this a little longer? I kinda want to...take in the moment?” His arms tightened around Eric’s waist.

Now how on earth was someone supposed to refuse a sweet request like that?

“Of course we can, honey.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Home in Madison, Georgia for a little while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is an eensy teensy spoiler from 4.26 in this ♥

“So I called George today.”

“Oh good! I mean, I think she already knew, though, she retweeted me.” Eric sprinkled more flour over the countertop in his mother’s kitchen before starting to roll out a ball of pie dough.

Jack laughed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “About the engagement? Yeah. I think I kind of worried her for a second, though.”

“Oh? Why is that?” Eric asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

“Ah, well, so I told her I had some extra news for her.”

“Right,” Eric echoed slowly, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. 

“And I think she thought that I was gonna tell her I was retiring,” Jack said, cringing.

“Oh good Lord,” Eric muttered, rolling his eyes, “this poor woman. Although honestly, doesn’t she know you well enough by now that you’ll have to be dragged kicking and screaming into retirement?”

“Probably,” Jack agreed with a chuckle. “But don’t worry, I asked and she’s fine with it. And, uh, she’s surprisingly really excited about it? I thought changing my jersey might turn into an issue for PR and marketing, but she thinks the opposite.”

“Oh, I’m sure she’s right! People are gonna have to buy all kinds of shiny new merch to support you, Mr. Zimmermann,” Eric said with a wink.

“Don’t you mean Mr. Bittle?” Jack asked with a slow grin.

“Not yet, unfortunately,” Eric sighed. He set down his rolling pin and reached up to cup Jack’s cheek, bringing him down for a peck of a kiss. “But soon.”

Jack grinned, ignoring the smudge of flour on his cheek, and tugged Eric in by the hips for another kiss, a real one this time. “The sooner the better,” he murmured.

“Jack! Lord, you sweet thing.” Eric blinked dazedly, tilting his head up to steal another tiny kiss. After all, this man was so hard to resist. “We really shouldn’t get too carried away - God forbid my parents walk in on us like this.”

Reluctantly, Jack released Eric and went to sit at the kitchen table with a sigh.

Just like they’d promised, here they were in Madison. Coach was mostly leaving them alone, but seemed content in his way to have them home. Especially in the evenings, watching sports and having a beer with Jack. Eric didn’t begrudge them in the slightest. Suzanne had spent most of their time together fawning over them and planning their wedding, which was about what they’d anticipated. And half the time, Eric didn’t mind in the slightest. He was thrilled, in fact! He’d _dreamed_ of getting to plan his wedding with his mama someday. Their Pinterest board was jam packed with decorations and menus and suits and venues. But he and Jack having such scarce alone time was starting to wear on them both.

The only reason they were alone in the kitchen right now was because Coach was working in the yard and Mama had run out to the store for more eggs. Either of them could return at any moment and Eric still wasn’t comfortable with most forms of PDA in front of them.

“What kind of pie are you making?” Jack asked, leaning his chin in his hand.

“Maple-crusted apple,” Eric told him with a smile. Lord, this boy was gorgeous. They hadn’t sat and cuddled on the couch together in _days_ , and Eric was in dire need of a fix. Maybe he’d brave it tonight and sit with Jack while he and Coach watched the hockey playoffs.

“My favorite,” Jack said, smiling back.

“Yes, well, I need to make sure the recipe is extra perfect before I teach you how to make it with me,” Eric replied slyly.

“Haha, what?”

Eric laughed as he put the newly-rolled dough back in the fridge, now sitting neatly in a pie tin. “I did tell you that I wanted you to appear as a guest on the vlog.”

“Oh. Is that happening so soon?” Jack asked. “I thought you might want to get back to it on your own for a bit at first.”

“Mm, no, I don’t think so,” Eric mused, giving his filling on the stove a little stir. “I think diving right in seems best. And, well, I might have some news for y’all tonight.”

“Oh?” Jack sat up a little straighter, alert and curious.

“It’s good news,” Eric assured him quickly, “really good news, actually!”

“It has to do with the vlog?” Jack guessed carefully.

“A bit!” Eric replied. The filling was ready, so he turned off the stove and removed it from the hot burner. He could practically feel Jack vibrating in anticipation behind him.

“The vlog’s been doing really well, lately,” he told Jack slowly, wiping his hands on his apron. “Better than I expected, actually. Of course, there was a bit of a dip in certain ways after...well, the hooplah and all that, you know. But after that, things kind of...exploded. I guess my name got out there in all kinds of ways and...well, someone noticed me.” He turned to face Jack, grinning sheepishly. “A publisher contacted me about writing a cookbook, and we finalized the deal today.”

“Bits! That’s great!” Jack jumped up, sweeping Eric into a massive hug that made them both laugh. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Oh, Lord, and do what if it all fell through?” Eric exclaimed. “No, I wanted to figure it out for myself first, sweetpea.”

“Alright, fair enough,” Jack agreed, hands still resting gently on Eric’s hips. “But from this point…?”

“From this point, you’ll be in the VIP circle,” Eric promised him with a laugh, leaning up on his toes to plant a kiss squarely on Jack’s nose.

“Oh! Y’all are busy in here!”

Eric and Jack jumped apart, blushing.

“Mama, hi! I was just telling Jack my news,” Eric explained quickly, relaxing slightly as Jack placed a gentle hand on the small of his back.

“You have news, Dicky?” Suzanne asked in surprise, closing the door behind her with her hip. Her hands were full of egg cartons. “Oh - thank you, Jack,” she said gratefully as he reached over both their heads to open the refrigerator for her. “Oh honey, do you know you’ve got a little smudge on you? C’mere.” WIthout hesitation, she reached for Jack’s chin to tug him down a little, licking her thumb and scrubbing at his cheek. Jack had attempted to stutter out a protest at first, but quickly resigned himself to his fate.

“ _Mama!_ ” Eric was mortified.

“Alright, alright, you’re excited, tell me all about your news.”

Right. The news. Eric perked back up. “Yes! I’ve been commissioned to write a cookbook for the vlog!”

Suzanne gasped sharply, letting out an incredible squeal of delight. “Oh, Dicky!!” She immediately ran to fling her arms around him. “Oh sweetheart, that’s _wonderful_ news! I wish I’d known, I would have made sure to get something extra at the store so we could celebrate!”

“What are we celebrating?” Coach asked, stomping through the backdoor to get the dirt off his feet and wiping his sweaty forehead with a rag. 

“Dicky’s gonna write a cookbook!” Suzanne exclaimed.

“Oh,” Coach said, looking bewildered, “well - that’s, uh, great news, junior. Congratulations.”

“Thanks Dad,” Eric said awkwardly, exchanging an amused look with Jack. Yup, this was just about exactly how he’d expected everyone to react. “It’s gonna go along with the vlog, so it’ll take a bit to put together, but it should be fun. And I’m gonna have folks come in as guests to bake with me.”

“That sounds like fun, oh my goodness!” Suzanne gushed.

“Don’t worry, Mama, you and daddy are gonna be in a video,” Eric assured her, grinning at the way her entire face lit up, “but Jack’s got first dibs.”

Everything was a bit of a commotion after that, almost entirely thanks to Suzanne. She seemed determined to put together a whole darned feast to celebrate Eric’s cookbook. Eric did manage to finish baking his pie, at least, satisfied enough with the results to take down a few notes for the cookbook. Coach and Jack wasted no time escaping into the living room with a pack of beer, clearly overwhelmed by the intense activity going on in the kitchen.

As much as Eric had bemoaned his mother’s antics, dinner truly was lovely. It was nice to feel supported, too. He actually found himself having quite a nice evening. He even mustered up the courage to curl up on the couch with Jack when they all went to lounge in the living room after dinner. If his parents felt any particular way about it, they didn’t say a word.

“Ahhyup, I think I’m ready for bed,” Coach groaned after a bit, standing up and stretching. “Don’t you boys stay up too late, now.”

“No sir, we won’t,” Eric said, smiling as his mama dropped a kiss goodnight to the top of his and Jack’s heads.

“Good night, boys. We’ll see you in the morning.”

As soon as Eric’s parents were up the stairs, Eric sprawled himself across Jack’s lap with a melodramatic sigh. “I’m exhausted,” he announced.

“Haha. I can tell,” Jack said, smiling as he smoothed his hand soothingly over Eric’s back. “Just, a lot going on, eh?”

“You can say that again. Gosh. Can you believe those people trust me to just...write a book! In my own time!”

“I’d say no, except that it’s part of your vlog,” Jack replied with a glint in his eye.

“ _What!_ ”

“Bittle, you had to finish your senior thesis by text. And coercion. I love you, but you’re the worst procrastinator I know. At least if social media is involved, there’s a chance it’ll get done.”

“Know me so well, do you?” Eric grumbled, making Jack chuckle.

“Yup,” he replied simply.

It was all true, Eric was just feeling contrary. He dragged himself up enough to pillow his head against Jack’s chest, arms draping loosely around his neck. “I’ve been wanting to do this all day,” he admitted with a soft sigh.

“Oh? Cuddle?” Jack asked, his hands drifting to their usual spot on Eric’s hips.

“Mmhm. And we haven’t slept in the same bed for too many nights in a row now.”

“Ah. Yeah.”

They were quiet for a long moment, just taking the time to hold each other. It seemed like such a small thing, but Eric really missed having Jack in his bed. He’d thought that after graduation, they’d have more time together than ever - and that was technically true, but...it wasn’t quite the same without the carte blanche to snuggle as much as they wanted.

“You know that they probably don’t mind this, right?” Jack murmured, brushing his fingers lightly through Eric’s hair.

Eric closed his eyes and let out a slow, deep sigh. “Yeah,” he mumbled, “I know.”

“But…?”

“But...I don’t know. I’m nervous, I guess.”

Jack waited patiently for Eric to elaborate.

“Ugh - I just mean - I don’t know. I’m afraid I’m gonna catch a glimpse of them out of the corner of my eye while we’re hugging or holding hands, and they’ll look...disgusted.” Eric swallowed hard, feeling guilty now that he was saying it out loud. “And I don’t think that’ll happen. Not really. Especially when they’ve been trying so hard? But there’s still this tiny part of me that just...doesn’t trust them yet.”

A tear slid down Eric’s cheek, and Jack didn’t hesitate to softly brush it away and replace it with a kiss. “It’s hard,” Jack said quietly, “to open up to people. It doesn’t all happen at once. You have to go at your own pace.”

“I’ve kept this - who I am, who I love - a secret from them for so long, now that I don’t have to...I don’t know how to be in front of them.”

“Just be you.”

“Pfft. That easy, huh?”

“I didn’t say it was easy,” Jack said with a chuckle, pressing a kiss to Eric’s forehead. “Remember Robot Jack?”

“Vividly,” Eric replied with a watery giggle.

“Ha, ok. Well, remember that it took Robot Jack a very long time to turn into, uh...um…” Jack furrowed his brow, struggling to come up with something.

“Sweetpea Jack?” Eric offered, finally breaking into a tiny smile.

“Haha. Sure,” Jack agreed. He wrapped his arms around Eric and gently pulled him in close, pressing a lingering kiss to the top of his head. “We’ll get there,” he murmured, “and they’ll support us when we do.”

Eric hugged Jack back tightly, squeezing his eyes shut for a long moment. “Yeah,” he finally agreed, letting out a deep sigh of relief. Jack always seemed to know how to talk him through these kinds of feelings. “Goodness, when did you become so wise?”

“Practice?” Jack suggested with an awkward laugh.

“Oh honey…” Eric cradled his cheek, leaning up to kiss him tenderly. This boy. It was incredible how much he’d grown just in the time they’d known each other.

Jack hummed, looking down at Eric thoughtfully. “You want to stay down here tonight?” he asked.

“Here? On the couch?”

“Sure. Then we can sleep together, and your parents won’t have to worry about us having been...involved.”

“Ugh,” Eric groaned, “I wish she had never come up with that darned phrase.”

“Is that a no…?”

“...let’s go find a blanket.”

“Haha. Ok.”

“And honey?”

“Yeah bud?”

“When we’re married, I’m not gonna stand on politeness no more, I’m gonna cuddle and kiss you anywhere I darn well please.”

“...s’wawesome.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More plans are made.

“Oh Dicky, y’all were so cute in your video!!”

Eric breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Mama.”

Ever since sitting down to edit, he’d been fussing to Jack in private about whether or not they’d been too flirty in the vlog together. Jack wasn’t bothered in the slightest about it; he just kept shrugging and saying, “I thought it was fine.” But it wasn’t until his Mama watched it (with Eric in the other room) that he finally felt sure about it.

“Honestly, you and Jack are such a darling couple, oh I just know your fans’ll love it,” Suzanne gushed, clasping her hands together excitedly.

“I think they’re called subscribers?” Jack said, sounding unsure. “But yeah. They love him.”

“Uh - Mama, make sure you be careful going through any comments, alright? We moderate ‘em pretty strictly, but sometimes a bad apple or two slips through the cracks,” Eric warned, exchanging a quick glance with Jack. 

Thankfully, when the video released, the bad comments were relatively few and far between. The Falcs’ social media team helped boost it with a retweet, too. It was Eric’s most-watched video; it even beat out the one just before his hiatus. He thought it was pretty cute too, if he did say so himself, but he was acutely aware that not everyone would think so. Not that he was going to let that stop him from glowing every time he saw the clip of himself kissing Jack’s cheek as his fiance proudly held up his adorable, successful mini pie.

Yup, this video might be his favorite.

“So, there is something we should talk about,” Jack commented as they packed up their belongings. Well, Eric’s belongings. Jack had finished his packing last night. This had been a  _ long _ week in Madison, between the book deal and filming vlogs - both with Jack and with his parents - and having to spend the first week of their engagement in Eric’s  _ parents’ house _ ...yeah, they were ready to get back to Providence.

“What’s that, sweetpea?”

“Uh, well...a date?”

“Oh!” Eric nearly dropped his suitcase. “I mean! We’d have to have it in the off-season, of course, but otherwise...gosh, I’m not sure yet.”

“Haha. Yeah,” Jack agreed, zipping up Eric’s duffle bag and hoisting it onto his shoulder. “Actually, I figured you might have had something more specific in mind by now?”

“Well, I do and I don’t,” Eric admitted, brushing a kiss to Jack’s cheek in thanks. “I think it’ll have a lot to do with the location? Because Montreal might be lovely in the month of July, but y’all Northerners’d boil alive in Georgia.”

“Haha. Yeah,” Jack said again, grinning. “I kinda like the idea of marrying you in Montreal, though.”

“Of course you do,” Eric snorted, double checking that his filming equipment was snugly and safely arranged before finally zipping up the last of his bags.

“Why did you bring so many bags for just a week again?” Jack asked, struggling to contain his smirk.

“Hush, you! Most of it is my equipment,” Eric retorted with a humph.

“Right,” Jack said, grinning.

“ _ Hush! _ ”

They packed their things into Coach’s truck and started giving hugs (or in Coach’s case, handshakes) goodbye. Suzanne was a little teary, which was half funny and half sweet. She made sure they had enough tupperware containers of goodies that Jack was starting to sweat figuring out how to pack it into their luggage, and eventually Coach managed to actually drive them to the airport without missing their flight.

“Would a wedding in Providence be out of the question?” Eric asked, poring over his laptop full of notes as the plane ascended to cruising altitude.

“Hmm, no, I don’t see why not. It would be easier for our friends to come, then,” Jack mused.

“I’m sure a lot of my family will want us to get married in a church but...well, I don’t know. Church weddings don’t feel quite as romantic to me. And I have a suspicion that no matter what kind of ceremony we choose to have, we’ll manage to make someone in my extended family unhappy…ugh, although for some of them, the wedding itself might do that.”

Jack reached across the armrest to squeeze Eric’s hand warmly. “We should figure out what we want first, eh? And then we can get some second opinions.”

“Oh honey...you’re right. This is  _ our _ wedding. Ugh, I really need to stop worrying so much about what other people think…”

Jack just smiled.

By the time they landed, they’d decided on a late July wedding in Providence. They wanted to have enough time in the off-season to make sure they could squeeze in a good honeymoon. Eric was not yet prepared in the slightest for a honeymoon conversation.

“I don’t know, sweetpea,” Eric sighed, scrolling through his phone dejectedly, “I’m just not inspired by these venues.”

“Hmm,” Jack said thoughtfully. He opened the passenger side door for Eric as they got into the car, bags finally all loaded after a long wait at the carousel. “Is there anything you like so far?”

“Not really, to tell you the truth,” Eric admitted. “There are a lot of hotels and country clubs? Some of the waterfront venues are beautiful, but they just don’t feel quite right. For us, I mean.”

“Well,” Jack said slowly, sneaking a glance in Eric’s direction, “there is one idea…”

“Oh?” Eric straightened up instantly, staring at the bashful expression on Jack’s face. “Sweetheart, what is it?”

“Ah, well. You’re gonna chirp me a little,” Jack said with a laugh.

“I promise I won’t,” Eric assured him, gently resting his hand on Jack’s knee. “Go on, sweetpea, tell me your idea.”

“...there’s always the rink?”

Eric paused for so long that it made Jack sweat in anticipation.

“Bits…? Bitty? Hey, it’s ok if you don’t like -”

“Oh Jack, honey, no! That’s not it at all! I mean, you’re absolutely right, I should be chirping the daylights out of you right now, but...honestly, I love it? Wow. I love it!” Eric began tapping his phone furiously, Googling at the speed of light.

“Haha. I’m glad,” Jack said, grinning like an idiot.

“They have venues there for all sorts of fundraisers and things anyway. We could definitely have the reception there!”

“They can put carpet down on the ice, too, for events and things,” Jack added.

“Oh my gosh...oh my  _ Lord _ , we’re going to get married at an ice rink…!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guest lists. Weddings parties. A few tears.

“Let’s see...who have you got now? Shitty and Tater?”

“Yeah, and Marty and Thirdy.”

“Jack, that’s only four, I thought we agreed on parties of five?” Eric furrowed his brow, puzzled.

“Ah, yeah…” Jack said sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. “I mean, I do know who I want my fifth person to be…?”

“Is it someone I don’t know?” Eric asked.

“No - ha, no, you know him.”

Working on the guest list itself wasn’t too bad. Of course, all of their friends were invited. That mostly meant anyone and everyone involved in the Samwell Men’s Hockey team, not to mention the Falconers. Jack’s extended family was pretty small (although Eric had to do a double take when he saw Wayne Gretzky’s name on the list - “Uncle Mario’s on there too, you know, Bits”). Eric’s extended family was not so small, but he was curating an extremely careful list (“Mama will have to help me with the seating chart later…”).

Picking the groomsparties, though, that was trickier.

Eric flip-flopped constantly for the first week that they’d put their lists together, but eventually came to a decision. He knew for absolutely certain that Lardo needed to be his Bro of Honor. That was settled. Shruti had helped him pick out his ring for Jack, so that secured her a solid place. Then there was Ransom and Holster, who they could by no means leave out. They’d stuck by Eric’s side through thick and thin, kegsters and hockey games, classes and Winter Screws. They were in. And last but not least, Eric’s (secretly) most favorite, beloved frog, Chowder. Yes, it did pain him deeply to leave out Nursey and Dex, his most steadfast pair of d-men, but he was resolute in telling Jack that they would have to be ringbearers.

Meanwhile, Shitty and Tater were immediate choices for Jack, and after some small deliberation, Marty and Thirdy were the next obvious choices. They’d been Jack’s rock during his first two years in the NHL, great co-captains and even better friends. Easy. But the fifth person…?

A mystery. Not to mention that Jack had said nothing of who he intended to choose as his best man.

“Well? Who is it?”

Jack paused, staring fixedly down at his list for a long moment. His leg bounced nervously under the table, fingers clasped tightly in his lap. Finally, he took a deep breath and looked up at Eric, eyes glassy with tears.

“My dad. I want to ask my dad.”

“Oh sweetheart…” Eric immediately jumped up to fold Jack into the warmest hug he could muster, cradling his head against his chest. “I think that’s a lovely idea. I’m sure he’d love to.”

“Yeah,” Jack croaked, hugging Eric tightly around the waist. “It’s just...I was angry with him for so much of my life. For so many things that weren’t his fault? And now, things are so different between us. Things are so...good.”

“Y’all love each other so much. It’s clear to see,” Eric murmured, kissing the top of his head. 

“Ha. Yeah.” Jack took another deep breath, tipping his face up to look at Eric. “Bits. I want him to be my best man.”

“Then you should absolutely ask him!” Eric told him firmly, cupping his cheek. “He’d be honored. I just know it.”

“Yeah,” Jack said again, smiling a little now. “I, eum...do you mind if I call him?”

“Oh my Lord, of course I don’t mind!!” Eric exclaimed. “Do you want me to give you some space, honey?”

“Actually...would you sit with me?”

There was no way on God’s green earth Eric would have ever refused him. They decided to cuddle up on the bed together, Jack’s weighted blanket wrapped around their shoulders. Eric tucked himself under Jack’s arm, snuggled up against his side, and smiled up at him.

“Ready, sweetpea?”

“As I’ll ever be, eh?” Jack said with a nervous laugh. He gave Eric a tiny squeeze of a hug and, taking a moment to breathe again, made the phone call.

“Jack, this is a surprise! What’s new?” Bob sounded cheerful. 

“Hi Papa,” Jack said, and his voice quavered slightly.

“Everything alright?” Bob asked carefully.

“Yeah! Yes, everything is great. Bitty and I are, euh, doing some wedding planning. Well, guest lists.”

“Ahhh, I see. I don’t envy you. I remember having to do that with your mother. Her agent wanted her to have a huge splash of a wedding extravaganza with all kinds of industry people invited, and of course we just wanted a small ceremony. Ahh, youth. So much bustle, so much pressure.” Bob paused, then laughed. “I’m sorry, that’s not why you called, to hear me ramble like an old man.”

“You know I don’t mind,” Jack told him softly, managing a tiny laugh.

“What a gift to have such an indulgent son,” Bob teased. “But even so, what’s on your mind, kiddo?”

“Ah. Well. So. You see...the thing is…” Jack was quiet for a long time, reaching for Eric’s hand - which he gave without hesitation - and squeezing it tight. “...we’re choosing the - the groomsparties,” he said finally, and Eric could almost hear how hard Jack’s heart was beating in his chest.

“Ok,” Bob said neutrally, giving Jack space to keep talking when he was ready.

“Right. And - so I need to choose someone to be my - my best man…”

“Ah,” Bob said, and they could hear the smile in his voice. “Having trouble deciding?”

“Actually, I was hoping,” Jack said, growing softer by the word, “that maybe…” He glanced over at Eric, who gave him the brightest, most encouraging smile and kissed his cheek. “Papa, would you be my best man?”

The silence was deafening. Jack was clinging to Eric’s hand a little too hard, but Eric didn’t have the heart to speak up about it. He just wrapped his arm around Jack’s waist and held him tight.

“Jacques,” Bob finally replied, voice thick with emotion, “ce serait un honneur, bien sûr que oui.”

Jack drew his knees up, dropping his head onto them as the tears finally spilled. A huge release, and relief, and Jack smiled as he cried. “Merci Papa. Je t’aime.”

Eric hadn’t retained much from his French class, but he could understand what Jack had just said well enough to know that things had worked out just fine. He rubbed Jack’s back soothingly and pressed a gentle kiss to Jack’s temple.

“Je t’aime aussi. Alors, c’était ce dont tu voulais parler? 

“Ouais, haha, c’est tout.”

“D’accord. Nous reparlerons plus tard, eh? Dis bonjour à Bitty pour moi?

“Bien sûr. Eh ben, à bientôt.”

“À bientôt, Jacques.”

They hung up. Jack sniffled quietly, wiping his eyes on his arm. “So, euh,” he said with a watery laugh, turning his head to smile at Eric, “he said yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Ce serait un honneur, bien sûr que oui." - It would be an honor, of course I will.
> 
> "Je t’aime aussi. Alors, c’était ce dont tu voulais parler?" - I love you too. So, was that what you wanted to talk about?
> 
> “Ouais, haha, c’est tout.” - Yeah, haha, that's it.
> 
> “D’accord. Nous reparlerons plus tard, eh? Dis bonjour à Bitty pour moi?" - Ok. We'll talk more later, eh? Say hi to Bitty for me?
> 
> “Bien sûr. Eh ben, à bientôt.” - Of course. Uh, well, see you soon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They decide on wedding colors.

“What on  _ earth _ are we going to do about attire?”

“For the guests?” Jack asked, puzzled.

“For everyone!” Eric exclaimed, ruffling his hand through his hair in exasperation. “I’m not even completely sure about  _ us _ yet. Suits, of course, but colors? Should one of us wear white? Or neither? Non-traditional colors? And the groomsparties?? Ugh!”

Eric had been going through catalogues and magazines and websites all morning, and yes, he’d looked at his mother’s Pinterest board too. There were plenty of lovely things, but good Lord, how on earth was he supposed to make a decision?? He loved Jack to pieces, but the man was so lackadaisical about the wedding planning.

“Bits, whatever we decide, it’ll be fine,” Jack tried to assure him.

“I don’t want it to be  _ fine _ , I want it to be perfect,” Eric explained with a frustrated sigh.

Jack worked hard to stifle a laugh, holding up his hands in apology when Eric glared. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m not trying to make fun of you.” He got up from the couch with a stretch - he’d been watching tape for his game against the Schooners next weekend for the last few hours - and moved to sit beside Eric at the kitchen table.

“Bits,” he said gently, taking Eric’s hand, “the only thing I care about, at the end of the day, is that I get to marry you. That I get to become Jack Bittle.” He actually blushed, saying the words out loud. “But I know that decorations and suits and catering are all really important to you, so I want to support your decisions. I will buy you hundreds of roses, or a twelve-tier wedding pie, or anything else if it makes our wedding that much more special for you. I just want to be your husband and spend the rest of my life with you. I guess what I’m trying to say is...just pick what makes you happy?”

“Oh sweetpea…” Eric swallowed hard, suddenly finding himself tearing up. This was just plain unfair, for the universe to allow someone this sweet to exist, let alone be his fiance.

“I love you.”

“Honey, I love you, too! Lord, and I promise I’m not trying to put ‘us’ aside for the - the darn decorations, but -”

“No, no, I know. You’re fine. I love that you’re so excited about planning the wedding. I just want that to be something you’re enjoying, and not a thing that’s stressing you out?”

Eric managed a smile and leaned in to brush a kiss to Jack’s cheek. “Thank you for being so understanding, sugar. I think if it all just weren’t...so important! I wouldn’t feel so much pressure?”

“Hey. No pressure. Imagine our dream wedding, with no one else’s influence, just the things that would make you happy. What would it be like?” Jack took Eric’s hands and pulled him over to sit on his lap.

“Wh- Jack!” Eric exclaimed, holding onto Jack’s shoulders to keep from toppling over.

“Shh. Close your eyes,” Jack said, covering Eric’s eyes with his hand. “Imagine our wedding. What do you see?”

It took a Eric a minute to stop giggling, but then he really started to think about it. “You and me. Our friends and family. We’re out on the rink. There are flowers. Roses? Like what you sent me on Valentine’s Day last year?”

“Mm. That sounds pretty. Maybe in an arch where we’re standing?”

“Oh! Yes, exactly! You know, sweetpea, sometimes I forget you’ve got that photographer’s eye.”

“Haha.”

“I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been thinking about Samwell colors, too,” Eric confessed.

“Oh, I like that,” Jack said right away, “the red and white, yeah.”

“But you look so handsome in blue…”

“Haha. Falcs and Samwell, eh? It could work.”

“Hmm, maybe. I know I was thinking the groomsparties can all just wear suits - I think Lardo and Shruti would prefer that anyway? But - oh!! If we do blue and red, their suit accents could be purple!!”

Jack laughed, taking his hand away from Eric’s eyes and kissing him on the nose before nudging him back toward his laptop. “Go, quick, before the inspiration leaves you,” he teased.

Quick as lightning, Eric had already texted his mama about the idea and was looking up cummerbunds and bowties and flowers in shades of purple. Red and white roses were perfectly normal at a wedding, thank you very much, and also quite romantic. They could do all kinds of arrangements with that, too, gosh. He sat back with a sigh of relief, smiling.

“Better?” Jack asked, grinning at him from the couch again.

“Much!! Thank you, sweetpea!”

“Haha. Any time.”


End file.
